Venice Biennale 2014: first images of British Pavilion plans

The AJ can reveal the first visualisations of this year’s British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale

The UK’s 2014 pavilion entitled ‘A Clockwork Jerusalem’ is being curated by FAT Architecture and Crimson Architectural Historians, and responds to the theme ‘Absorbing Modernity’ set by Dutch architect and Biennale director Rem Koolhaas.

The exhibition will explore the diverse cultural influences that shaped and were shaped by British Modernism in the post-war era and over the last 100 years.

Outlining the plans to the AJ in March (see below), Sam Jacob of FAT Architecture said: ‘This year we are responding to a much stronger brief than normal – to talk about Modernism and modernity in Britain. We are most interested in a certain type of Modernism when it was at its most political and architectural – between 1955 and 1975. This period also contains the end of the movement.

‘It focuses on architecture as part of a gigantic process – the future of the country, society, and how we would like to live and work. It was a time of great public projects – the construction of a new kind of Britain. We are looking at Modernism not in terms of projects, but in the context of a culture which created them, and the surrounding stories. We are also interested in how these ideas and visions of architecture were communicated. So much was happening through propaganda and advertising. Interestingly, this shows how central architecture and planning were to mainstream society.’

The fourteenth international Venice Biennale entitled ‘Fundamentals’ will feature three ‘interlocking’ exhibitions – ‘Absorbing Modernity’, ‘Elements of Architecture’ and ‘Monditalia’. These topics have been assigned to each of the participating countries as a theme for their individual exhibitions and pavilions.

Among the 65 nations, participating in this year’s Biennale are eleven countries which have not had a presence before: Azerbaijan, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, New Zealand and Turkey.

In a change to tradition, Koolhaas’ biennale will start on 7 June instead of at the end of August, making the event run at least 12 weeks longer than usual, running through until 23 November.

Previous story (AJ 19.03.2014)

British Pavilion team explains Venice Biennale plans

FAT’s Sam Jacob and Vicky Richardson of the British Council on the British Pavilion at this year’s Venice Biennale

Tell me about the ideas for the British pavilion?Sam Jacob This year we are responding to a much stronger brief than normal – to talk about Modernism and modernity in Britain. We are most interested in a certain type of Modernism when it was at its most political and architectural – between 1955 and 1975. This period also contains the end of the movement.

It focuses on architecture as part of a gigantic process – the future of the country, society, and how we would like to live and work. It was a time of great public projects – the construction of a new kind of Britain. We are looking at Modernism not in terms of projects, but in the context of a culture which created them, and the surrounding stories. We are also interested in how these ideas and visions of architecture were communicated. So much was happening through propaganda and advertising. Interestingly, this shows how central architecture and planning were to mainstream society.

We want to give a different spin on what the ideas of modernism are

We want to give a different spin on what the ideas of modernism are. The theme is historical but we are trying to ask a question in the present sense.

Do you have any surprises up your sleeve?Sam JacobThe story itself is surprising. The stories we have uncovered are interesting. It is a show about architecture but doesn’t particularly focus on architects or buildings. We are featuring things from Stonehenge to Cliff Richard. The timescale is huge.

Will it be provocative?Vicky Richardson It will generate some debate. Not everyone will agree with it.Sam JacobWe would like it to provoke discussion and debate about our current situation.

Are any other architects involved?Sam Jacob Lots – but they are mainly dead. There will be William Morris, Inigo Jones, Cedric Price, Reyner Banham and many more…

We have a desire for it not to be a show about us in the particular Biennale way.

Why is the exhibition titled ‘A Clockwork Jerusalem’?Sam JacobIt comes from the term ‘A New Jerusalem’ which was used to describe the post-war sentiment. It refers to William Blake’s poem And Did Those Feet in Ancient Time. Blake was visionary. His words are bananas – yet they have become central to a vision of the UK. It is a socialist poem. We are talking about the Jerusalem of Blake and the welfare state. Clockwork comes from A Clockwork Orange. The title is supposed to look back.

You’re looking back at the past, but wouldn’t it be more useful to British architecture to showcase the emerging talent we have now?Sam Jacob It is not a responsibility of the Biennale to do that. We hope it will be a real contribution to British Architecture. It is much more about contributing to architectural culture and debate.

It will be both challenging and joyful

How do you think people will relate to this year’s British Pavilion?Sam JacobHopefully people will disagree with parts of it and agree with other parts. It confounds the normal story of architecture. It will be both challenging and joyful.

Most of the people who visit the Biennale are not architects, how will your ideas be communicated to them? How will it engage with the non-architect?Sam Jacob It is not the architecture which is the important part of our show. It includes books, films and posters. It is about architecture in the wider cultural context, offering ways into architecture.

What involvement does the British Council have?Vicky Richardson The pavilion was given to the British Council in 1934, before it was owned by the government. Since then, we have been responsible for commissioning exhibitions. The brief for this Biennale is now seen as a research project. It has come from a statement from Rem Koolhaas about moving from a national architecture to an architecture of global characteristics. The pavilions were tasked with thinking about how Modernity shaped architecture in their country. We agreed with Koolhaas that there is a lack of direction in new architecture. There is nostalgia for Modernism.

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